Tuesday, March 31, 2009

April 2, 2009 will mark the 70th birthday of the late great Marvin Gaye. April 1 will also mark the 25th anniversary of his tragic death the day before his 45th birthday. Motown's top solo male artist of the '60s, led by his "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" -- at one time the biggest selling single in Motown history- Gaye became the label's most revolutionary artist in the '70s, breaking down barriers whether singing about the body or the soul, social consciousness or sexual politics. From his '60s classic "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," to his legendary rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, he defined the soul in "soul music."

Marvin Gaye’s popularity and influence continues. His 1971 album Whats Going On forever changed the subject matter of popular music; it's one of Rolling Stone magazine's top 10 albums of all time. In 1973, Let’s Get It On became perhaps the most passionate and sexual album ever recorded, led by its title track, which remains one of the most popular songs of all time, a certified Gold single back in the day, and in the digital music era it's a Gold digital download and a Platinum-selling ringtone as well. In 1987, three years after his death, Gaye was rightfully among only the second group of artists honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. More recently, Marvin Gaye was No. 6 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Singers Of All Time.

Noting the milestones of his birth and passing, Motown/UMe will issue a special digital-only album on March 31, Marvin Gaye: Then & Now, a 14-track set of rarities highlighted by the previously unreleased "Soulie", a 1966 recording recently unearthed by Motown's New York-based producer Mickey Gentile, and a hot funk 2009 remix of "I Want You," Marvin's No. 1 hit from 1976, by the renowned John Morales of M+M Productions. Other tracks making their online debut are: the deep vault track "It's Your Party," and his two super-rare late '50s Chess recordings with Harvey & The Moonglows ("Mama Loocie," "Twelve Months Of The Year"). Rounding out this special collection are Marvin's earliest, pre-hit Motown singles ("Witchcraft," "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" and more).

Motown/UMe is also issuing a vinyl-only edition of United (Motown/UMe), Gaye's classic duet album with Tammi Terrell, on April 14. The standard by which all R&B male-female duos are measured, Gaye and Terrell first teamed on the 1967 album that included "If I Could Build My World Around You," "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

In addition, the ongoing, acclaimed "Motwn 50" podcast series will feature special episodes on Marvin Gaye's life and music; Gaye is also well represented on the deluxe 10-CD box set Motown: The Complete No. 1’s, which kicked off the year long celebration for Motown's 50th anniversary. Both The Real Thing, a DVD collection of his greatest television and concert appearances, and Gold, a 2-CD overview of his career, have recently been certified Gold. Marvin Gaye will also figure prominently in a two-hour documentary about Motown produced by the label's founder, Berry Gordy.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Atlantic recording artist Laura Izibor has announced upcoming North American concert dates kicking off April 1st in San Francisco. Having just recently completed a major European tour supporting John Legend, Izibor will now hit the road alongside India.Arie. The Irish soul sensation has also shared the stage with such greats as Aretha Franklin, Al Green, James Brown, Angie Stone, and Atlantic labelmate Estelle. Laura's highly anticipated debut album "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD" -- which includes the single, "From My Heart To Yours" -- will be available in stores and via all online retailers on June 16th.

"From My Heart To Yours," which was featured last year on an episode of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," is already shaping up as a breakthrough hit for the Dublin-based singer. The single is currently ascending the airplay charts at multi-format radio outlets nationwide, including Urban Mainstream and Urban AC, where it has just bulleted into the top 10. In addition, the track's companion video clip is now in rotation at both BETJ and VH1 Soul.

Izibor has drawn ecstatic praise in a wide range of national and international publications, including Rolling Stone, which recently featured her among its "Artists To Watch." Billboard included Laura in its "Best Bets - Faces To Watch '09" section, while Ebony declared Laura to be the "Soul of Ireland," noting that her music "brings to mind the echo of older, soulful songstresses like Aretha Franklin."

In the UK, The Guardian singled out Izibor's melodic and lyrical gifts, pointing out that "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD" is "full of the kind of catchy tunes that usually mean a record label has spent a mint on expensive writers and producers -- but the writing is all her own work... Her lyrics are more intelligent than your average 21-year-old's -- more sophisticated young woman than gobby teen." Vibe also waxed effusive, naming Laura one of its "Next: Artists On The Verge," and hailing her album as "a marvel -- (Izibor's) killer voice slicing through a passel of breezy R&B."

Izibor -- who will be featured as Steve Madden Music's "Artist Spotlight" for May and June -- has already had her songs included in an array of films and television series. In addition to "Grey's Anatomy," Laura's music has been featured in "The Nanny Diaries," "Step Up 2: The Streets," "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married," "Seven Pounds," and MTV's "The Hills."

Born and raised in Dublin, Izibor became enthralled with the sounds of classic soul and R&B at an early age. By 15, she had honed her vocal talent to such a high level that she won Ireland's prestigious RTÉ 2fm Song Contest. It wasn't long before Laura began working on what would ultimately become "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD," recording her self-penned songs in such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dublin. From the sassy "Shine" to the deeply personal "If Tonight Is My Last," the album is rich with authenticity and passion, its songs revealing Izibor's uniquely heartfelt take on life and love.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Multi-award winning musical legend Van Morrison returns to California for “Astral Weeks Live” at the Berkeley’s University of California, Greek Theatre on May 2 and 3, and at the intimate Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on May 7, 8 & 9. Morrison recently released “Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl,” a historic CD and double vinyl recording, performed almost 40 years to the date of the original studio masterpiece. The DVD release of “Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl” is slated for April 7, exclusively through Amazon.com

Morrison will perform the "Astral Weeks” material “from cover to cover” as well as a number of his classic hits from his extensive repertoire. Joining him on stage will be an orchestral string section and a band composed of world-class musicians, including renowned guitarist Jay Berliner, who played with Van on the original "Astral Weeks" sessions 40 years ago. Tracks will include: "Astral Weeks/I Believe I’ve Transcended," "Beside You," "Slim Slow Slider/ I Start Breaking Down," "Sweet Thing," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Cyprus Avenue / You Came Walking Down," "Ballerina," "Madame George.”

Rolling Stone Magazine noted that with Astral Weeks Live, Morrison "took charge of the music with the authority that comes with four decades of performing. It seemed that once he breathed in the perfume of these eight songs, he didn’t want them to end.” Added the Los Angeles Times, "Transcendence is what Morrison has been after with his music from the beginning… the wondrous youthful timbre of his voice… has evolved over the years into a richer, fuller instrument, with every bit of its remarkable elasticity very much intact."

Universally regarded as one of the most important albums in pop music history, "Astral Weeks" broke new ground with its experimental free-flowing arrangements and deeply reflective songs. Morrison’s motivation to rework the music was to get back to his original signature sound: a blend of jazz, blues, classical and folk unique to Van Morrison.

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Morrison is responsible for some of the greatest recordings of the last 50 years. A Belfast native of proud Scottish heritage, he grew up listening to American music with his parents, his favorite artists being greats like Ledbelly, Mahalia Jackson, Lightnin’ Hopkins and other legends of blues and soul. Morrison has more than 200 of his compositions featured in major motion pictures over the years, the latest being featured in the Scorsese film "The Departed." Morrison was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the late Ray Charles in June 2003.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Concord Records has just announced the signing of music icon and legendary trumpeter and bandleader, Herb Alpert, and his wife, the internationally renowned singer, Lani Hall. The celebrated duo's Concord debut Anything Goes is a live collection of beautifully reinterpreted standards, and marks the first complete project that Herb and Lani have recorded together. Anything Goes is slated for release on May 26, 2009.

Throughout his illustrious career Herb Alpert has sold more than 72 million albums worldwide as a musician and bandleader of the groundbreaking Tijuana Brass. He has won seven Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for "A Taste of Honey," and had three of his recordings--the early TJB hit "Whipped Cream," 1966's "What Now My Love," and his 1979 solo hit "Rise"--honored with inclusion in the Grammy Awards Archive Collection.

In 1962, Alpert and Jerry Moss founded A&M Records, which became one of the world's leading independently owned record labels and home to such renowned artists as The Police, The Carpenters, Carole King and Janet Jackson among others. During this time Herb produced the likes of Stan Getz, The Baja Marimba Band, Gato Barbieri, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, and his wife of more than thirty years, Lani Hall. Lani's own Grammy-award winning career as a songstress stretches from 1960s where she amassed hits as lead singer with Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, leading into a string of solo albums in English, Portuguese and Spanish that began with 1972's "Sun Down Lady."

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Chris Botti – Chris Botti Live In Boston (Columbia) - The Blu-ray HD version includes 2 hours of concert footage and the 40-minute “Behind the Scenes” bonus documentary. Columbia will also release a 13-track CD, as well as a Special Edition 13-track CD with added 8-song DVD. Scheduled for release on March 31

Willie Colon – El Juicio (Fania Records) due March 31

John Coltrane – Giant Steps - Atlantic Records is reissuing the 1960 album as a 2LP set in 180g standard. It is re-mastered in 45RPM, and will be a Limited Edition, numbered, set with slip-case packaging that replicatesthe original tape box of the album. This is scheduled for release on April 7 from Rhino/Atlantic.

Miles Davis - Legacy Records will be releasing a few vinyl LPs for Miles Davis that includes Bitches Brew (1969), Nefertiti (1967), In a Silent Way (1969), and Sketches of Spain (1959). will be re-released on April 14.

Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority, and Chicago II (both reissues from Rhino), due for release on April 21.

Chick Corea & John McLaughlin – Five Peace Band Live (Concord) due April 28

Teena Marie – Congo Square (Fantasy) due May 5.

Frank Sinatra – Sinatra At The Meadowlands (Concord Jazz) due May 5

Herb Albert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes (Concord Jazz) due May 26

Roy Ayers – Virgo Red (Verve) due June 9

Quincy Jones – Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini (Verve) due June 9

Isaac Hayes – Black Moses (Stax Records) - Stax Records is about to reissue album originally released 1971 as a double LP set. Stax revisits the landmark album with re-mastered digital sound, and restored LP art packaging. In addition to this, there are expanded liner notes, more photos, and 14 great Isaac Hayes classics over 2CDs.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago have announced that they will reunite for a 30-city national co-headlining summer concert tour, beginning June 5 in Orange Beach, AL (dates below). In 2004 and 2005, the two bands teamed up for what is still talked about as one of the great musical spectaculars in recent touring history. A DVD filmed in 2005 of their Los Angeles shows was certified double platinum almost immediately upon release – a tribute to the extraordinary and unique quality of this collaboration.

Earth, Wind & Fire’s founding member and singer Philip Bailey says, “The Chicago-Earth, Wind & Fire shows are magic and bring out the best in all of us – from the musicians onstage to the fans dancing in the aisles. We can’t wait to get out there with our friends again.” Chicago keyboardist and founding member Robert Lamm is equally enthusiastic, “Earth, Wind & Fire are phenomenal. When we first decided to tour together, we knew it would be good, but I don’t think we could have guessed that the Earth, Wind & Fire-Chicago shows would be some of our all-time favorites to play.”

The 2009 Summer Tour will be presented by AEG Live. Each band will perform a full set, and the two bands will come together at the beginning of the night and for a final set that features both bands onstage together.

Earth, Wind & Fire made international news recently when President Obama declared in an interview with RollingStone Magazine that the group was among his favorites in his iPod. He said, they are “rhythm and blues and pop staples for me.” The group was invited by President Obama to perform in the East Room on February 22 at the White House for the first social event of the new administration.

The Earth, Wind & Fire 11-piece band is among the most influential, commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the last three decades. Formed in 1969 in Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire's 39-year history resulted in millions of albums sold worldwide and distinguished awards and accolades. Founding members: Maurice White (leader, vocalist, songwriter); Philip Bailey (lead vocalist, percussionist); Verdine White (bassist); Ralph Johnson (drummer and percussionist) have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and are credited with eight Grammy Awards, 20 Grammy nominations, Four American Music Awards, honors from the NAACP, the BET Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The principal members of Earth, Wind & Fire have received honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Arts and Media College at Columbia College Chicago. To this day, Earth, Wind & Fire remain one of the top globally popular touring attractions. Influencing top artists including Prince, Mary J Blige, Outkast and many more, Earth, Wind & Fire's signature sound and distinctive musical styles fuse pop, soul, jazz, rock n' roll, psychedelic, African roots music and disco with a base in funk.

Chicago has written, recorded and performed some of the most popular and musically innovative songs in rock history. Billboard Magazine positioned the band at #13 on their Hot 100 chart’s All-Time Top 100 – a byproduct of having sold more than 100,000,000 records and having earned 20 Top hits, 5 Number One albums, 5 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles. Chicago has also won a Grammy Award, American Music Awards, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, had a downtown Chicago street renamed in their honor, and been celebrated with an exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. An incredible 25 of their 30 albums have been certified platinum, and Chicago is the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades. Through it all, Chicago remains a working band, touring continually since forming in 1967.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Music legend Stevie Wonder adds special luster and excitement to the 50th Anniversary celebration of Motown Records with the release of his first-ever live concert DVD, ‘LIVE AT LAST – A Wonder Summer’s Night’, Universal Motown Records release. Music fans around the world can watch a 2 minute trailer of the DVD exclusively on Stevie’s imeem page at www.imeem.com/steviewondermusic.

Using imeem's embeddable widgets, fans can easily share the trailer of “Live at Last – A Wonder Summer’s Night” with friends and embed it on blogs, web sites, and profiles on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking services. imeem is the world's largest social music service with more than 25 million people visiting the site each month.

The DVD program, released worldwide on March 9, 2009, was filmed at the O2 Arena, in London, England, over two nights, September 30 and October 1, 2008, before a rapturous audience of 15,000 each night. The concerts were part of the first Stevie Wonder world tour in over a decade, which sold 120,000 tickets in the UK alone.

Stevie Wonder was introduced to the world at age 12 in the 1963 hit “Fingertips - Pt. 2,” his first of nine No. 1 records and he has also charted eighteen more Top 10 hits so far. He has won 22 Grammy Awards since 1973, when Innervisions won Album of the Year, among his first four Grammys that year. He is the recipient of NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Award (1996) and Billboard Magazine’s Century Award (2004). He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. His 10-million selling 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life was the first album by an American artist to debut at No. 1 in the Billboard album chart. His most recent studio album is 2005’s gold-certified Top 5 A Time To Love.

‘LIVE AT LAST’s set list traces a lifetime of innovation and accomplishment – and, in fact, our own lifetime appreciation of his music, stretching from Wonder’s teens with “My Cherie Amour” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Along the way, the program encompasses iconic hits that redefined pop and R&B music, including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Living For the City,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Wish,” while reaching into his classic albums for such enduring fan favorites as “All I Do,” “Overjoyed” and “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” The exuberant “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” is preceded by Wonder’s interpretation of Chick Corea’s instrumental “Spain.” And in a delightful, impressive and emotional moment, Wonder’s daughter Aisha Morris -- the inspiration of his classic “Isn’t She Lovely” -- steps from the background vocal group and performs Nat “King” Cole’s jazz standard “I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life.”

Wonder also takes time out in the set to salute the British audience with an affectionate medley of two Beatles songs (“Fool on the Hill,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand”) and a Rolling Stones classic (“[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction”), book-ending them with the traditional “London Bridge is Falling Down.”

Aside from being his first DVD release, ‘LIVE AT LAST’ is Stevie Wonder’s first high definition release on Blu-Ray disc. Blue laser disc reader technology provides unparalleled picture quality (at 1080i) as well as pure and uncompressed 5.1 surround sound -- the highest standard of sound quality ever achieved on a Stevie Wonder release.

Wonder performed “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” to a crowd of 85,000 at Denver, Colorado’s Invesco Field, just prior to then-Senator Barack H. Obama’s nomination acceptance address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and he also is prominent among performers at the public Obama Inaugural celebrations held in Washington, DC in January 2009. His new song “All About the Love Again,” is featured on the special all-star compilation project

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Jazz artist Liza Lee's new CD, Anima, has been released for only a few weeks and fantastic reviews are already coming in. It is joining radio station playlists across the country and selling out at online retailers with more CDs on their way. Most important though, Liza's ultimate personal mission is being accomplished. In addition, 100% of the proceeds from Anima are being donated to The Society For Women's Health Research (SWHR), a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women through research, education and advocacy (http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/).

Reviews from fans speak volumes. CD Baby customers Steve Miller's comment on Anima says it well, "Liza Lee has assembled a collection of songs that exercise the mind as well as the ear." Furthermore, Dave Allen adds, "Superb musical accompaniment and sympathetic production have yielded an album to savor...again and again."

Paul POP! From firstcoastnews.com sums Liza's new CD up, "She has once again proven herself to be an amazing talent capable of anything…Her creativity, perseverance, and talent are reflected on each of the songs on Anima and that's what makes this record such a pleasure to listen to."

Although Liza's mission is to assist women's health research, clearly it's the selection and execution of the music that is her primary objective as an artist. Her message is clearly rendered through her fresh, unpredictable and innovative approach to the music. As Bob Donovan, North East In-Tune Magazine, said, "(Liza is) a great vocalist that puts her own style on everything she touches."

Liza's voice and the musician's performances meld together seamlessly on Anima. The generous instrumental jazz interludes on various cuts are iconic and only perform to enhance and reinforce Liza's messages. Standout performances include pianist Art Hirahara on "Sweet Potato," Scott Robinson on "Silver Dagger" and "Calling You," Adam Kolker (soprano sax) and Bruce Barth (piano) on "A Thousand Kisses" and David Cook's piano solo on "Leather" and Michael Kanan (Jane Monheit's pianist) playing on "Good Morning Heartache" displays duo work at it's best.Exploring the theme of Anima, the feminine whisper inside of a patriarchal society, most of the songs were composed or co-composed by women including Joni Mitchell's "Blue," "A Thousand Kisses Deep" by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson, Tori Amos' "Leather," Rachelle Garniez's "Quality Star," Michelle Shaw's "Good Morning Heartache" and "And Love Is All There Is" and Kate Bush's "Wow." Liza is particularly haunting on folk standard "Silver Dagger" and presents a unique, humorous and memorable interpretation of the Peggy Lee hit "Is That All There Is?" She makes each song her own.

Regarding her song selection for Anima from various music genres including pop, rock, folk as well as jazz, Wilbert Sostre, of JazzReview.com states, "Liza shows her ability to turn any song into a Jazz standard...She puts her soul in every word and note on this CD… Liza reaches down deep for the emotions that provides the listeners an extraordinary experience."

Liza co-wrote "Revolving Mattress" with New York writer, arranger, producer and pianist David Cook and penned "Sorry Child" and "Lay We Down" with bassist and composer Pat O'Leary. These haunting original compositions reinforce the talent she has shown as a songwriter with her first CD and self-written title song, Scarlet Mark. The risks she has taken with the subject matter of these songs only strengthens the fact that Liza continues to be an important voice of the 21st Century.

Released on the Jazz Doll Records label, Anima, is an extremely personal CD for Liza. In 2006 her promising jazz career as a recording artist, performer and composer was taking off with the breakout critically acclaimed release of her first CD, Scarlet Mark, when 29-year-old Liza suffered a stroke. Anima, was inspired by her three and a half year struggle through the medical system with her various health issues. By personal experience, she learned that astonishingly little research is done on how illness, disease and medications uniquely affect women's bodies.Liza Lee has compounded her mark on today's jazz scene with the release of Anima.. Her continual evolution and development, which are uniquely displayed on Anima, are fascinating to hear and her thought-provoking music is always memorable.

In addition to 2009 U.S. appearances, Liza will be touring Europe and Japan this summer as well as recording and performing in Australia at the beginning of 2010. Stay tuned for new developments of this extraordinary talent.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

In celebration of "1959 - Jazz's Greatest Year," Columbia Records has reconfigured three jazz masterpieces as multi-disc expanded editions (either with an additional audio CD, or video DVD, or both). The albums are Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis, and Mingus Ah Umby Charles Mingus. With brand-new liner notes essays also planned for each title, these new editions of Time Out, Sketches of Spain, and Mingus Ah Um will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting May 26th through Columbia/Legacy.

The confluence of ground-breaking jazz albums issued in 1959 is a subject that has fascinated scholars and critics for the better part of a half-century. The same year that saw the deaths of jazz icons Lester Young in March, Sidney Bechet in May, and Billie Holiday in July, also included the releases of Kind Of Blue by Miles (which was reissued in January 2009 as a deluxe double-CD Legacy Edition), Blues and Roots by Mingus, John Coltrane's Giant Steps, Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz To Come, The Genius Of Ray Charles, The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco, the Oscar Peterson Songbook series, and Duke Ellington's soundtrack for Anatomy Of A Murder, to name a few.

Columbia revolutionized the industry with the introduction of the long-playing (LP) 33 1/3 rpm microgroove vinyl disc in the spring of 1948 -- whose 12-inch configuration could hold up to 26 minutes of music. Within a decade, jazz composers (and bandleaders) were taking full advantage of the scope of the LP, with longer conceptual pieces containing multiple movements and extended improvisations. The advent of the live performance LP also came into its own during the 1950s, and such favorites as the Woody Herman Band's Live At Monterey (1959) and Ray Charles' What'd I Say (1959) found their way into many collections.

Legendary Columbia Records producer Teo Macero produced both Time Out and Mingus Ah Um, and co-produced Sketches of Spain with Irving Townsend.

Individually, "1959 - Jazz's Greatest Year" celebrates the following:

Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet: Exotic non-traditional rhythm signatures became one of the trademarks of the quartet, with Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello. A 5/4 vamp turned "Take Five" into an instrumental jazz staple and jukebox hit single b/w "Blue Rondo a La Turk." The LP hit #2, stayed on the chart for more than three years, and became the first jazz album to sell a million copies. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Time Out (which will contain a DVD documentary) are written by Ted Gioia, whose book West Coast Jazz (1998) contains two chapters devoted to Brubeck.

Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis: Each of Miles' four orchestral album collaborations with arranger-composer Gil Evans -- Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy And Bess (1958), Sketches Of Spain (1959), and Quiet Nights (1962) -- was a masterwork in its own right. Sketches was Miles' first post-Kind Of Blue project, and retains that LP's modal feel on the 16-minute version of Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez,' the inspiration for Davis and Evans. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Sketches are written by composer academician Gunther Schuller, whose hundreds of accomplishments in jazz include playing French horn for Miles on the 1949-50 Birth Of The Cool sessions. Sketches was recorded in 1959 and released in 1960.

Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus: 2009 also marks the 30th anniversary of the death of the mercurial bandleader-composer, who had the budget at Columbia to double his two-horn front-line for the big sound of "Better Git It In Your Soul" and "Fables Of Faubus", and homages to jazz greats Ellington ("Open Letter To Duke"), Morton ("Jelly Roll"), recently deceased Lester Young ("Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"), and Mingus himself ("Self-Portrait in Three Colors"). The film noir quality of this album -- considered to be one of the five truly essential Mingus LPs -- predates a certain vein of film music later popularized by Henry Mancini. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Mingus Ah Um are written by three-time Grammy Award-winning producer-annotator Michael Cuscuna.

Friday, March 13, 2009

The upcoming 31st annual Playboy 2009 Jazz Festival will present an entire weekend of jazz at the renowned Hollywood Bowl including the very popular pre-festival community events offered free to the general public throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Every year the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival is presented in conjunction with the L.A. Philharmonic Association and serves up an eclectic smorgasbord of jazz as well as other genres of music. The 31st Annual Playboy Jazz Festival will feature a mix of straight-ahead jazz, smooth jazz, pop, Latin jazz, salsa, New Orleans R&B and brass band, jazz sprinkled with a touch of reggae, and African juju music.

Dave Koz and Brian Culbertson will hit the road together this summer, collaborating on one another's biggest hits as well as on songs from their latest albums. Dave Koz - Greatest Hits and Culbertson's Bringing Back The Funk each debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart upon release last year. Along the way, the pair will give a JVC Jazz special performance - "Dave Koz & Brian Culbertson Side By Side with Special Guest Peabo Bryson" - at the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on August 23rd."Summer is always the best time to take this music on the road-and I think this summer in particular, it'll be a great opportunity for Brian and I to put some positive energy out there, have some fun and, hopefully in the process, give folks a break," said Koz. "Brian is incredible on every level. It's been seven years since we toured together- and I know this is gonna be a blast!"

Culbertson is equally excited about heating up the summer concert circuit with Koz. "I cannot wait for this tour to start!" stated Culbertson. "Dave is a phenomenal musician and performer, and I am truly looking forward to sharing the stage with him once again." Koz will play songs from At the Movies and Dave Koz - Greatest Hits, including such smash singles as "Castle of Dreams," "Together Again," "Honey-Dipped" and "All I See Is You." Dave Koz - Greatest Hits, his first-ever retrospective album, debuted at No. 1 on both Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and iTunes' Jazz Album chart last year while its lead single, "Life In The Fast Lane," spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the R&R Monitored Smooth Jazz chart. His current track, "Bada Bing," is top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio.

His most recent studio album, 2007's At The Movies, topped Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart for 12 weeks. A six-time Grammy® nominee, Koz will be honored with a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame later this year. In addition to his many hits, Culbertson will perform songs from his milestone tenth project, Bringing Back The Funk, a historic and completely unprecedented album, revisiting the land of the "sho' nuff uncut" '70s-style funk of ages. The critically acclaimed album was produced by Brian along with executive producer Maurice White (founder of Earth, Wind & Fire) and featured "Always Remember," which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Songs chart last summer. With their unique sounds and incredible talent, Koz and Culbertson will jazz up the summer with plenty of smooth, funky fun on their upcoming tour. Dates are as follows:Dave Koz/Brian Culbertson Side By Side Summer 2009 U.S. Tour6/26 Kettering, OH Fraze @ Pavilion for the Performing Arts7/11 Temecula, CA Thornton @ Winery with Special Guest Peabo Bryson7/12 Temecula, CA Thornton @ Winery with Special Guest Peabo Bryson7/18 Apple Valley, MN @ Weesner Amphitheater7/24 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues7/25 Houston, TX @ House of Blues7/26 El Paso, TX @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center with Special Guest Peabo Bryson7/31 Paso Robles, CA @ California Mid State Fair with Special Guest Peabo Bryson8/1 North Las Vegas, NV @ Texas Station8/6 Detroit, MI Soundboard Theatre @ Motor City Casino with Special Guest Peabo Bryson8/8 Atlantic City, NJ @ Atlantic City Hilton with Special Guest Peabo Bryson8/16 Murphy's, CA @ Ironstone Vineyard8/21 Grand Ronde, OR @ Spirit Mountain Casino with Special Guest Peabo Bryson8/23 Los Angeles, CA @ JVC Jazz @ The Hollywood Bowl with Special Guest Peabo Bryson8/28 San Diego, CA @ Humphrey's with Special Guest Peabo Bryson9/24 Puyallup, WA @ Western Washington Fair/Puyallup Fair

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Verve Records will release Diana Krall’s new album ‘Quiet Nights,’ on March 31st. The romantic album combines Brazilian and west coast jazz styles for a sensous blend of ballads and bossa novas, and features three recordings of songs by bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim. ‘Quiet Nights’ reunites Diana Krall with arranger Claus Ogerman for the first time since the multi-platinum 2001 album ‘The Look of Love.’

The GRAMMY Award winning pianist and vocalist adds Paulinho Da Costa on percussion to her already outstanding quartet of Anthony Wilson (guitar), John Clayton (bass) and Jeff Hamilton (drums). Krall co-produced the album with Tommy LiPuma, the tenth time they have worked together, and returned to Capital Studios in Hollywood with Al Schmitt engineering and mixing.‘Quiet Nights’ is Krall’s 12th album and her first full length studio release since 2006’s ‘From This Moment On.’ That album garnered her a third consecutive Top 10 Billboard 200 chart position as critics deemed “This is Krall at her best.” (Christian Science Monitor, 9.22.06). In 2007 Verve released ‘The Very Best of Diana Krall,’ the first career retrospective of Krall’s music, which featured three previously unreleased songs.

Diana Krall has topped both the pop and jazz charts, played sold-out amphitheatres in multiple countries and sold millions of records worldwide since her debut in 1993. She has proven her genuine talent and credibility as a mold-breaking jazz musician time and time again.

One of the highlights of the Berks Jazz Fest is on Saturday, April 4, when East Bay Soul, an all-star rotating collective led by former Tower of Power trumpet great Greg Adams and famed soul singer Phil Perry, joins forces with saxophonist Michael Paulo and trumpeter Lee Thornburg. The 2 p.m. double-header at the Reading Crowne Hotel will kick off with a performance by Bay Area-based guitar star and Berks Jazz Fest favorite Joyce Cooling. East Bay Soul is a combination of instrumental soul funk and rhythm and blues vocals built on a design to discover new achievements rather than extend the past. Wide ranging and forward thinking, East Bay Soul is set to lead this new soundscape with a sharpened expertise from being on countless stages worldwide.

Adams says: “We draw from my funk and R&B background with Tower of Power and the influence it’s had over my sound and the sound that I gave to TOP through those 25 years I was in the band. Taking that sound and bringing it into 2008, we’re creating an all new ‘Metro Jazz,’ really a new approach of a melting pot of contemporary urban rhythm and sound and combining all the sounds from the city. The ethnic sounds of the trials of tribulations, the hard fought, the victories, sweetness and sadness. It comes through in the music in all forms. It’s world, it’s metro, it’s edgy, it’s urban.”East Bay Soul’s horn section is headed up by the Grammy- and Emmy-nominated Adams (whose most recent solo release is 2006’s Cool To The Touch), Michael Paulo (longtime saxman for Al Jarreau, Peter White, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne and Rick Braun who has a solo career extending back to 1989) and Lee Thornburg (former member of Supertramp, TOP and The Tonight Show band who has also worked with Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and Ray Charles).The ensemble’s original lyrics are crafted and sung in stunning fashion by Phil Perry, one of the finest R&B/urban jazz vocalists in contemporary music who won 2007 Soul Tracks Male Vocalist of the Year. Perry’s latest Shanachie release is Ready For Love.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

French Jazz singer Raquel Bitton celebrates renowned Latin composers in her hot new French/Latin Jazz recording Boleros which will be released on March 17. French jazz singer Raquel Bitton is recognized as the foremost singer of French music in North America today and has been internationally praised as the greatest interpreter of the music from the Edith Piaf repertoire.

Boleros, Raquel Bitton's 7th album release is sung in French and Spanish was engineered by 11x Grammy award winner Rafa Sardina and showcases the music of legendary Latin composers including Armando Manzanero, Consuelo Velasquez, Augustin Lara, Isolina Carillo and others.Raquel Bitton is accompanied by a 28 piece orchestra featuring notable Latin Jazz musicians including: Ramon Stagnaro on acoustic guitar, (Andrea Bocelli, Shakira, Luis Miguel) Cuban percussionists Orestes Vilato (Santana, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades) and Jesus Diaz (Tito Puente, Pete Escovedo Orchestra) and Rebeca Mauleon on Piano (Santana, Cachao, Joe Henderson). Included is an exquisite 20 page booklet with Spanish and French lyrics and biographies of each composer as well as historical research on the birth of the Bolero.

"Romance intertwined with passion, this is the Bolero, a true expression of my heart said Raquel Bitton. I fell in love with the Bolero when I listened to the sultry voices of Tona La Negra and Maria Dolores Pradera. This music transported me back to my birthplace and the songs I heard growing up in Marrakesh where Spanish music was on everyone's lips, Spain being so close to then French Morocco," said Bitton.

Bitton's journey in researching the composers and songs, led her to Mexico City where she met Armando Manzanero (composer of Elvis Presley's hit song 'It's Impossible') who is widely considered the premiere Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era. "Raquel Bitton's new CD Boleros is magnificent; her version of my song, 'Adoro' is so beautiful!" said Armando Manzanero.

Raquel Bitton sings Aranjuez mon amour from Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, one of the most recognizable compositions in the Spanish Guitar repertoire in tandem with the extraordinary Acoustic Guitarist Ramon Stagnaro. Classic songs, including Solamente una Vez by Augustin Laura or Dos Gardenias by Isolina Carillo, the song that helped revive Ibrahim Ferrer's career (Buena Vista Social Club) and Besame Mucho, by Consuelo Velasquez are sung with Bitton's captivating voice and set to an entrancing beat.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Oleta Adams is set to release her first album since 2001 as E1 Music is set to release "Let's Stay Here," on April 21, 2009. Throughout her long career, which began with Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of the immortal "Get Here," Oleta has earned her devoted fan base by staying with the essentials: honest, soulful vocals, unforgettable songs, and uplifting arrangements. "Let's Stay Here" is prime Oleta: she delivers each song's message with grace, clarity, and quiet power, whether it's her own composition or a classic cover, such as the version of Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" that was central to the 2007-8 Buick campaign. Oleta's fans, who flock to her sold-out shows all over the U.S., have been waiting a long time for "Let's Stay Here," and it delivers all the way. It's a new statement of pure soul, ten messages of hope and love for our tough times.

Raised with gospel music, Adams released two solo albums before getting discovered by pop group Tears For Fears in the '80s. After touring with and opening for the group, her solo career took off in 1990 with the album "Circle of One," which peaked at #1 in the U.K. Adams has released six more albums since, and her cover of Brenda Russell's track "Get Here" earned her the first of many Grammy nominations.